A Thorn in My Side
by FyoraHime
Summary: May simply wanted to buy some flowers for her friends and family. Why did the shopkeeper have to tease her so much? Contestshipping Florist!AU


Sweet scents, sparkling sunlight, and soft singing flooded her senses as she entered the building. The bombardment of sensory information caught her off guard, and for a moment she simply stood at the doorway in a daze. The gentle ringing of a bell echoed in the distance. What kind of wonderland had she discovered?

"You should probably move out of the doorway."

A sharp, condescending voice snapped May back into reality. She blinked a few times and took a moment to look around the shop once she had recovered from her initial stupor. She was still in awe of her surroundings, but finally she began to see them for what they were. The faraway bell tolls actually came from the bell above the door, ringing to alert the employees of customers who came and left. The Rustoboro flower shop was humble but nonetheless beautiful; it was not exactly a mystic jungle or fantastical forest, but she still found it charming.

The shopkeeper, however, managed to ruin the whimsical mood. He was leaning over the countertop, still looking at her intently, as if he was expecting something. She gave him a quizzical look, and then he finally sighed and straightened up. "Can I help you?" he asked in that same annoying tone.

"Oh! My bad." She laughed, a little embarrassed. "I'm looking for flowers for my friend."

The shopkeeper folded his arms over his green apron. "I could have guessed that," he teased. "Are you looking for specific flowers? Is it her birthday?" He did seem like he truly wanted to help her, but the way he asked was so… irritating.

"I don't really know much about flowers," May confessed as she wandered around the shop, peering at all of the different types of flora. "I'm looking for a gift to congratulate my friend, and I guess I want to thank him, too," she added as an afterthought.

The boy flicked his bangs out of his face with a smirk. "Oh, you're shopping for your boyfriend?" he guessed. He looked rather amused as the brunette's face grew pink and she whirled around to face him.

With a frown etched onto her lips, she asserted, "He is _not_ my boyfriend. Not even close. I'm traveling with him, though, so I thought I would give him some flowers to congratulate him on earning his first gym badge. He beat Roxanne just this morning."

The boy nodded slowly and leaned back against the shelves behind him. From his new position, he could get a better view of the flowers in the shop, and he took them all in, trying to find the perfect gift for the girl's friend. "How thoughtful," he said. Was he mocking her again? "Hmm. Generally, chrysanthemums are good flowers for a friend. They literally tell someone, 'You're a good friend.' They also carry a message of cheerfulness, and you're happy to be traveling with this guy, right?" She nodded, so he continued. "They're in the third row on the bottom shelf."

May scampered in that direction, although she doubted the flowers would be exactly where he predicted. "Whoa!" she exclaimed upon finding them. Turning to face the counter again, she said, "You really know this store inside and out, don't you?" He shrugged with another stupid smirk on his face. "Do they mean 'thank you,' too, or should I get a different flower for that?"

He leaned forward against the counter again. Propping his elbows up on the surface, he rested his chin on his folded, elevated hands. "You really want to thank this guy, don't you? Is it just because he's traveling with you, or is it something else?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

May rolled her eyes and walked up to the counter to face the obnoxious green-haired employee. "Quit questioning my motives, flower boy. I've been dying to travel for ages, but my parents wanted me to wait until I was old enough to have a Pokémon." She decided to leave out the fact that she had no desire whatsoever to be a Pokémon trainer. "Even after I received my Torchic, I still wasn't able to go out alone. That's partially his fault, since he fried my bike, but…" She trailed off and rested her chin on her hands now, and her gaze fell to the marble counter. "I probably wouldn't have even made it this far if not for him. My parents must be reassured by the fact that he knows way more about Pokémon than I do. I don't even want to know how high their expectations are for me, since my dad…" She lifted her eyes and found the boy looking directly at her, as if he were actually intrigued. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, jumping up and away from the counter. "You just want me to make a purchase, right? What flowers are best for congratulations and thank yous?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking very carefully. "If I were you, I'd go with some dark pink roses."

May glared daggers at the shopkeeper again, and she came back up to face him. She threateningly pointed a finger at his nose. "Listen," she began, taking a second to peer at his nametag, "Listen up, _Drew_ , I'm sick of you teasing m-"

"Calm down, hothead," he said coolly, raising his hands up defensively. "Different roses have different meanings. "Pink means admiration and appreciation, and dark pink specifically means thankfulness."

May found herself blushing again, this time out of embarrassment for jumping to conclusions. She shouldn't have been so quick to accuse him again. "Umm, that would be great. Where can I find those?"

He chuckled softly and began to walk towards a side door. "I'll prepare a small bouquet for you."

May nodded and mumbled a "thanks." She tapped her fingers against the counter impatiently. How difficult was it to find and prepare some roses? Didn't he have the shop layout memorized? Maybe chrysanthemums were just his specialty, or he was specifically assigned to row three. She pulled a Poké Ball out of her bag and sent Wurmple out. Spending some time with the newest addition to her party would help out their relationship; besides, the little bug needed exercise.

Finally Drew reemerged with a beautiful bunch of roses. He seemed startled to see the tiny pink Worm Pokémon wandering scooting around the store, but he didn't comment. "One bouquet for one hypocrite," he announced as he rang up the price for the flowers. "Your Wurmple seems to be fond of this place," he commented casually. As she paid, he was focused on her companion. "Why don't you come back once you've evolved?"

May accepted the bouquet with a huff and said to her Wurmple, "We're leaving now. Don't worry, we'll see plenty of pretty flowers _elsewhere_." As the pair walked out the door, May examined the collection of roses in her hand. That Drew guy was a jerk, but he certainly knew how to prepare a presentation of flowers. These were perfectly pruned, pink, and precious. "I hope he likes-" She stopped midsentence and let out a sharp squeal. One bright red rose had "accidentally" snuck into her bouquet. Furiously, she plucked it out, trying to dodge the thorns of the other roses. Oddly enough, the red one was thorn-free. "For you, Wurmple," she declared, tossing the flower to the excited little bug-type. _'That guy is a piece of work!'_


End file.
